Fire is a primary disturbance for maintaining pitch pine (Pinus rigida) forests. In the Northeast prompted this investigation of other factors that might account for unexpected perseverance and recruitment of pitch pine. We hypothesized that topography and marine deposition replace fire as key drivers of recruitment in this system. We tested this hypothesis using 30 soil, leaf, plant-level, and ecosystem-level traits across a host of elevation, slope, aspect, and soil water availability gradients in four pitch pine plots. Data on soil and foliar Na & thorn;, proxies for marine deposition, and measurements of topography as explanatory variables, were employed for the first time in this system. This observational study reinforced predictions from a theory that a combination of stressors is needed to sustain pitch pine persistence in the absence of fire. Soil-plant-stand trait data in xeric landscapes informs a pitch pine seedling introduction scheme for mesic landscapes with lagging recruitment. We propose that this new method, adjusted to meet conditions at other stands, will improve management and restoration across pitch pine locations in New England and New York State.
Introduced species represent threats to native biodiversity and they can also modify site characteristics. They can become invasive depending on some biological traits such as extended flowering and fruiting as well as on the site invasibility. Leonotis nepetifolia is an African plant species that has spread all over Mexico. In a heterogeneous (spatially and seasonally) lava field established in central Mexico and for 11 months, we followed the phenological patterns of 45 individuals of this species in three different areas, where we also measured environmental temperature and moisture as well as some soil characteristics. Area and season of the year significantly affected temperature and moisture. Significant effects occurred as follows: season on leaves and fruits, and area on flower percentages. The highest percentages of mature leaves were recorded from July to December, flowers from September to December, and fruits in January; synchrony was low for leaves and fruits, but high for flowers, which can be a result of its plasticity and adaptability to the new sites where it has been introduced. The study of the effects of the variability of environmental temperature and moisture on the phenological patterns of L. nepetifolia is important for explaining its success in the sites where it has been introduced. Key words: African plant species, Christmas candle stick, flowering and fruiting, invasive potential
Currently, health researchers face a major challenge in controlling various diseases that affect humans, generating great interest in studying the diversity of medicinal plants beneficial to health, as Kalanchoe daigremontiana and Kalanchoe tubiflora. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characterization and antibacterial activity of leaf extracts from potted cultivated K. daigremontiana and K. tubiflora. They were evaluated through direct observation and assessment according to descriptors for succulent leaf plants (IBPGR-IPGRI-BIOVERSITY). The antimicrobial test of the ethanolic extracts from K. daigremontiana and K. tubiflora cultivated in pots showed great potential for inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Significant differences were found compared to the aqueous extracts (a1/4 0.05). The ethanolic extracts of both Kalanchoe varieties could be a natural means for treating ailments related to these bacteria. Both species of Kalanchoe possess phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties, making them a promising source for beneficial effects.
In an era of digital information overload and persistent access barriers, traditional bibliographic indices remain vital tools for comprehensive literature discovery. This paper presents and analyzes the Index to New York City Botanical Literature, a comprehensive bibliographic index of 399 works published on the vascular flora of New York City between 1811 and 2023. Compiled through extensive searches of digital databases, physical archives, and bibliographic citations, the Index provides a centralized resource for navigating this vast yet scattered body of literature. An analysis of publication metadata reveals significant temporal, spatial, and thematic trends. The Index underscores the enduring value of curated bibliographic resources in the digital age and serves as a foundational tool for future research in urban botany, historical ecology, and conservation.
We describe Actaea rhodostigma sp. nov. J.T.Scholten, A.K.Sprenger & C.D.Specht, a newly recognized, pink-fruited species from New York, USA. Morphological analyses of more than 100 individuals per species revealed consistent diagnostic traits-including pink fruits, pink stigmas, and reddish sepal apices-that reliably distinguish A. rhodostigma from its congeners. Phenological surveys demonstrated staggered flowering times across populations, with A. rhodostigma consistently blooming between A. rubra and A. pachypoda, whereas floral scent and visitor observations showed divergent scent profiles and pollinator assemblages that likely contribute to reproductive isolation. Genomic analyses, including phylogenetic inference, Patterson's D-statistics, PCA, and admixture detection, recovered A. rhodostigma as a cohesive lineage sister to A. pachypoda, with no evidence of species-wide hybrid ancestry; localized signals of admixture were restricted to populations in sympatry. Together, these results establish A. rhodostigma sp. nov. as an independently evolving lineage and underscore the importance of integrative approaches for resolving species boundaries in morphologically complex groups.
Cuttyhunk Island, Dukes County, MA, comprising 235 ha (41 degrees 250N, 70 degrees 560W), was formed during the retreat of the Wisconsin Glacier approximately 14,000 yr ago. We performed an inventory of the vascular flora of Cuttyhunk Island from September 30, 2016 to October 6, 2019, confirming the taxa collected by previous investigators, with 63 additional vascular plant species identified in the present study. Of the 387 species, 119 are nonnative taxa and 268 are native species. In numbers of species, the largest families in the flora are the Asteraceae (55), Poaceae (46), and Cyperaceae (34). The largest genera are Carex (16), Juncus (10), Dichanthelium (7), Hypericum (7), Cirsium (6), and Eleocharis (5). There has been a decline in ferns, orchids, rushes, and sedges since Fogg's floristic inventory in 1923. Nonnative taxa have increased, comprising 20% of the flora in 1923, 35% in 1974, and 34% in the present study. Across the past 95 yr of botanical study, Cuttyhunk Island's flora has changed in response to a dynamic landscape affected by human activity, community development, and coastal storms.
When evaluating ecosystem services and biodiversity of secondary forests, ancient forest remnants provide valuable benchmarks for management goals. In the eastern United States, a principal challenge to forest health, both for ancient and secondary forests, involves browsing by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). In addition to eliminating browse-sensitive tree species, browsing can create a recalcitrant layer, which limits light availability, thereby reducing sapling growth rates and extending sapling exposure to deer. To evaluate the influences of browsing by deer and shading by pawpaw (Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal), caged versus uncaged pairs of saplings were examined in plots where pawpaw trees remained or were removed. Uncaged saplings had significantly greater mortality than caged saplings both in removal plots and control plots (X21 = 14.0; P = 0.0002; X21 = 11.5; P = 0.0007, respectively). In contrast, removal of pawpaw trees did not significantly affect mortality of caged saplings (X21 = 0.5; P = 0.5). However, sapling growth was significantly greater in removal plots than in control plots (F1,56 = 6.5; P = 0.013), with sapling growth in control plots less than 40% of that in removal plots. By creating a recalcitrant layer of pawpaw, browsing by deer indirectly exacerbated the negative effect that deer had on canopy regeneration. Although ancient forest remnants provide aspirational goals for managers of secondary forests, the urban ancient forest in this study, Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve, must itself be managed to prevent the negative consequences of browsing that will otherwise diminish its quality. The concern for Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve is discussed more broadly in the framework of ancient forests.
Agricultural lands that are left to revert to forests are frequently colonized by nonnative shrubs, such as the invasive Frangula alnus (glossy buckthorn). To better understand this phenomenon, we assessed a glossy buckthorn invasion across three land-use classes on a 6-ha site in Houghton County, Michigan. The site included a remnant northern hardwood woodlot, a Pinus sylvestris (Scotch pine) plantation, and an abandoned field colonized by Fraxinus americana (white ash), which is now declining from Agrilus planipennis (emerald ash borer). We examined the height structure and minimum age of the invasion spatially, as well as factors such as overstory and understory composition, light availability, soil characteristics, and proximity to edges. We used nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination and comparative analysis to examine the height structure of the invasion by land-use category. We observed differential invasion success across land-use histories, which may be associated with soil and vegetation legacies of land clearing and subsequent agricultural abandonment. We observed the greatest densities of glossy buckthorn on plots associated with past agricultural use and abandonment, which also contained the greatest range in size classes and on average the oldest individuals. Our findings suggest that the impact of land-use legacies on soils warrants further investigation as a potential mechanism underlying invasion success. An improved understanding of legacy effects could help land managers target control efforts in areas that may be predisposed to land invasion because of prior land use.
We compared the boundaries of the Elizabethtown Plain (EP) and Pennyroyal Plain (PP) subsections of the Highland Rim Section of the Interior Low Plateaus Physiographic Province (ILP) in Kentucky as delineated by various authors over the past 100 yr or so. There were substantial differences, especially for the PP, among authors regarding placement of these boundaries. On the basis of examination of numerous 7.5' topographic and geologic quadrangle maps in conjunction with extensive field observations, we conclude that, overall, the boundaries of the EP and PP as drawn by Quarterman and Powell on their map of the ILP are more reasonably placed than those of other authors. A new map of the EP and PP at the 7.5' quadrangle level that includes several modifications of the boundaries of these two subsections on the Quarterman-Powell map is provided.
Out of the 50 species of Phallales reported in Brazil, only nine are found in the state of Bahia, and none belongs to the genus Clathrus. This work provides the first record of Clathrus for Bahia, represented by the species Clathrus columnatus and C. chrysomycelinus, the last being the second occurrence for northeast Brazil. Detailed descriptions, photos, and notes about the species are provided. Photos of the basidia of Clathrus columnatus are presented. This work increased the number of Phallales species known for Bahia from nine to 11, increasing to three the number of species of the family Clathraceae cited for the state, contributing to the mitigation of the Wallacean shortfall of Clathrus species in Bahia and, consequently, in Brazil.
Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is a highly invasive shrub that is difficult to control. Although clipping by itself is ineffective, previous work has shown that it produces resprouts that are highly susceptible to honeysuckle leaf blight (Insolibasidium deformans), which kills leaves that it infects. Additionally, resprouts are also browsed by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). One purpose of this study was to estimate blight impact on resprouts by quantifying the fraction of leaves lost during the growing season that are blighted, thereby quantifying blight's effect on growth. Another purpose was to quantify the effect of deer browsing on the growth of clipped shrubs and to look for an interaction between leaf blight and deer browsing. Shrubs were clipped in a forested site and an open site in northern Kentucky, and half of them were protected by deer exclosures. Growth of resprouts was measured on a biweekly basis. Repeated-measures analyses showed that the fraction of leaves lost to blight had no effect on growth at either site. Deer browsing also had no effect, and there was no interaction between blight and browsing. Thus, resprouts were able to compensate for losses from leaf blight and deer browsing during the growing season. Shrub mortality rates 1 yr after clipping were similar to those reported before leaf blight and extensive deer browsing were reported. However, shrub mortality rates of open-grown shrubs that were both clipped and reclipped the following year were much higher than previously seen. Thus, the combination of blight and deer browsing with reclipping shows some promise for now managing honeysuckle in open-grown stands.
Biodiversity surveys rely on accurate species identification as an important component to address increasing rates of extinction. However, morphology-based identification may be hindered by a lack of taxonomic expertise, especially in the presence of cryptic exotics, taxa that are morphologically indistinguishable from natives. This study applies both taxonomic keys and DNA barcodes to identify two potential cryptic wetland plants in Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NY, as part of an ongoing floristic inventory. Samples of the park water lilies (Nymphaea spp.) and cattails (Typha spp.) were collected from different stands between 2018 and 2019 and morphologically recorded. Leaf samples were also used for DNA extraction and sequencing of plastid and nuclear barcodes: rbcL and ITS for the water lilies and trnL-trnF, psbA-trnH, and ITS for the cattails. Both morphological and molecular datasets were compared via phylogenetic analyses to artificial samples composed of idealized morphological keys and published GenBank barcode sequences, respectively. In both approaches, there was strong phylogenetic support for the water lilies as the native Nymphaea odorata rather than the exotic N. alba (BS > 90%; BPP = 1.0), which was previously suggested, and for the cattails as both the native Typha latifolia and exotic T. angustifolia (BS > 90%; BPP = 1.0). There was limited support for tentative hybridization between the park cattails, which separated morphologically similar broad leaf samples between groupings containing the different species. Application of DNA barcodes to this and other such surveys may improve the ability of conservationists and park management efforts to meet biodiversity goals by providing increased confidence in the accurate identification of potentially troublesome species.
